Three-weekly bin collection to be rolled out in Glasgow

The Glasgow Times can reveal main door properties, whose bins are presented from the kerbside, will move to a lesser schedule from February 22.

It follows a pilot which began in the north east of the city late last year.

READ MORE: Glasgow City Council defends three-week bin collection

Glasgow City Council officials insist the move is a bid to improve recycling efforts, which are currently lagging behind other UK cities.

However, it has been met with fierce criticism from unions who have branded changes as “a nightmare” for refuse workers.

Chris Mitchell, convenor of GMB Union's branch 40, said: "GMB branch 40 will now formally ask the public their views and thoughts and fears in moving to a three weekly collection that will start to be rolled out across the north west of the city.

"I think this will do the people of Glasgow a dis-service."

Councillor Anna Richardson defended the changes in her Glasgow Times column yesterday, where she insisted the change would still be coming into effect regardless of the local authority's budget.

Councillor Anna Richardson

She said: "We all have a responsibility to stop seeing waste as someone else’s problem.

"The way in which Glasgow manages waste has significantly improved in recent years. We’re heading in the right direction but still nowhere near where we need to be."

READ MORE: Glasgow binman sent to hospital after rat attack in Drumchapel

A spokesman added: “A transition period begins on February 22 and we will be writing to all affected residents with a detailed collection calendar along with added information on how to recycle.

“Residents who present bins at kerbside are asked to follow all the dates on their old calendar until the first date on their new calendar to ensure their general waste continues to be collected regularly.

“The new arrangements aim to encourage more recycling and will keep Glasgow in step with the national household recycling charter as well as an increasing number of other local authorities."

“These arrangements have been successful in other local authority areas and will help address a situation where over 60% of the contents of a general waste bin could be recycled.

READ MORE: Growing anger over bin collection changes in Glasgow

“Early evidence from the introduction of the new arrangements for houses in north east Glasgow shows that three-weekly kerbside collections are working as we hoped they would, which is good for both the environment and the city’s finances.

“Feedback given directly by frontline staff also indicates they welcome the new arrangements as it provides a more efficient and streamlined working environment for staff.

“The change to three weekly kerbside collections is part of a wide-range of measures aimed at encouraging more recycling in Glasgow and taking us closer to the national target of 70% of waste recycled by 2025.”